About

I am a naturalist at heart and a forest ecologist by training. I earned my B.S. in marine science at the University of South Carolina in 1993. After earning a Ph.D. in forestry from NC State University in 2002, I taught as a post-doc fellow in the Thompson Writing Program at Duke University. I returned to NC State as a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources in 2011, where I teach professional development and a huge introductory class in Environmental Science. I teach a field course, Forest Ecosystems of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, at the Highlands Biological Station, as well as Dendrology and Plant Ecology at the NC Botanical Garden. In 2014, I co-authored an ecological hiking guide, Exploring Southern Appalachian Forests, which teaches readers how to discover stories in the forested landscape. I am an avid long-distance trail runner and co-own a group running business, Runnerpeeps, with my husband Andrew. I love blending my passions for ecology, conservation, running and writing by working on projects that combine these interests. Outdoors, I share my love of the natural world with people of all ages—my two sons most especially.

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4 thoughts on “About”

Hi Stephanie,
We’re holding our 3rd Annual Writers on the Rock this spring at Chimney Rock on May 22, and would love to include you as one of our featured authors. Could you please contact me at 800-277-9611 or at prandevents@chimneyrockpark.com, and I can give you more details. We’re featuring authors who have written about all there is to do outdoors in Appalachia, and I think you’d be a great fit.
Thanks,
Shannon

Christine, mine seems to have healed over on its own. I still have very tight hips that limit my mobility and can be achy, but fortunately I can keep doing what I like. I do take more time to stretch post-run than I used to!